Lamps or lighting means, also referred to as LE (=light engines) in the following, can include elements for automatization of lighting systems. They can for example be light sensors, which prevent turning on the LE with sufficiently large ambient brightness and automatically turn on this LE, respectively, if the ambient brightness falls below a presettable value. Furthermore, a motion sensor can also be integrated on an LE, which turns on the LE or varies the brightness thereof if a motion, for example a moving person, is detected in a target field.
In some cases of application, however, it can be reasonable to provide a relatively high number of lamps for reasons in terms of lighting, but not to provide sensors in each of these lamps. It is advantageous to install and provide sensors only in a part of the lamps, to remote control the other lamps from the lamp with sensor.
The present invention deals with the problem of describing a simple possibility, how control signals can be transmitted from a lamp with sensor, referred to as master in the following, to a lamp without sensor, referred to as slave in the following.
From the prior art, numerous bus systems or master-slave systems are known, for example under the designation I2C or DALI.
In this context, AT 11 444 U1 discloses an interface for a bus member of a lighting system, wherein the interface has a rectifier for rectifying the voltage of the bus line as well as means for potential isolation of the bus line, wherein the rectifier and the means for potential isolation are contained in an integrated interface.
GB 2 115 240 A discloses a control device for controlling the current, which is applied to a load from an alternating current supply, by phase control of an electrically triggerable switch, which is connected between load and current supply, wherein the control device includes a phase detector device for generating a succession of clock signals at respective points of time, at which the alternating current supply is at a preset point in its waveform.
Furthermore, DE 20 2005 021 023 U1 discloses a building installation system consisting of two different bus systems, which each have at least one bus apparatus, which are in communication with each other via a bus transfer module for the purpose of communication, adequate functional compliance and start-up, wherein incoming information of the first bus system is converted into transmittable commands of the second bus system and/or incoming information of the second bus system is converted into transmittable commands of the first bus system, wherein all of the bus apparatuses have such a construction that the bus apparatuses of the first bus system can only be employed as adapted bus apparatuses for use in the second bus system using an adapted physical layer.
From DE 10 2009 009 535 A1, a circuit for controlling an operating apparatus for a light application is known, including a galvanically separated transmitter, to which a control signal can be applied, and including a power part, which can be activated by the galvanically separated transmitter depending on the control signal.
However, these systems require a non-insignificant connection, installation and cost expenditure. Such a high complexity and functionality is not desired for simple applications for cost reasons.